


Catch Me If You Can

by Naome



Series: Detective Haurchefant Grey [1]
Category: FFXIV, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, F/M, is that even the right tag lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naome/pseuds/Naome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A man with a troubled career with the police department, Detective Haurchefant Grey decides it is better for his talents to work alone. After swiftly solving a few high-profile cases, he gains popularity. The next case he takes on is that of the rising criminal who has been targeting vaults of the Adeledji Company, only known to the police department by the name of 'Crystal Thief'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Locks of Hair

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Haurchefant is a detective and our beloved WoL is a female criminal, intending to outsmart him in any way possible. But who knows, maybe they'll end up liking each other?

                Silver hair, defined cheekbones, a stare that can make tough criminals break out in cold sweat. Yet, when in conversation, he carries himself with such a light and friendly air that it seemed as if he had chosen the wrong job, to be a hard-boiled detective almost hell-bent on catching any criminal. His name was Haurchefant Grey.

  
                He was rather popular, yet his circumstances were a huge contrast to his rising glowing popularity. It had never been all smiles and laughs for him, especially after being betrayed by a few colleagues during the first few years of his detective career. He possessed a soft, comforting exterior, yet his interior, upon a closer look, seemed cold and almost heartless.

  
                From my sources, he had been around the detective scene for awhile, yet because of his dubious reputation, he’s been stuck with the more mundane cases. Rarely was he allowed by the police department to handle cases involving high-profile criminals. They were afraid he’d let them go once he caught them ever since the incident where one of his closest friends had escaped the country after being outed as a leader of a drug ring. They thought he let his friend go; he’d say otherwise, I would think.

  
                It was only when he left the department and ran his own business of snooping around that he was able to handle such high-profile cases. As he solved one after another much faster than the sluggish police department, he grew in popularity. His names touched the lips of many people finding justice or closure. It was only recently that he decided to pick up my case.

  
                Like him, my popularity as a criminal grew almost exponentially. It was only a few heists I pulled off, yet once the police got to each crime scene and saw some small crystal jewelry I left behind, they dubbed me the ‘Crystal Thief’ and put a bounty on my head. Elusive, they observed, as no one could even say they saw me or someone who might have been me. I was like a ghost.

  
                It was only after my fourth heist that he picked up my case, as I heard it through the grapevine. I knew, from now on, I had to become more careful of how I handled my operations since the slow police force were not the only ones on my trail now.

  
                A new challenge presented itself before me. As for what I’ll do the moment when he comes to meddle too much in my business? I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

. . .

                The operation began at the planned time, at eleven at night. Getting into the next Adeledji building proved to be an easy task despite the consecutive break-ins that have happened at other places. I thought after all the break-ins I’ve done, the man would tighten security around the buildings left untouched.

  
                I slowly opened the back door after picking its lock, making sure that there was no one behind it. Quickly, I ran inside and unsheathed the combat knife I carried with me. I held it, my right arm poised in front of my body, ready for any unwanted confrontations. I gradually made my way to the vault containing money and some important artifacts that the Adeledji demon had stolen from others. To return those artifacts to their rightful owners was something I needed to do, and stealing them might prove to be easier than I had expected.

  
                No signs were present that indicated that there were even guards on duty tonight. My palms began to sweat a little as I felt a heavy weight in my chest. The mask on my face began to stick a little to my skin thanks to perspiration.

  
                Maybe it was a trap. Getting to the vault seemed _too_ easy. Not to mention, they’ve already tried to tighten security around me, and I’ve always managed to slip through somehow. Maybe they found that a change of tactics would be appropriate tonight.

  
                I stopped where I was and straightened my posture, my armed hand hanging on my side. I examined my surroundings in the darkness, finding the hallway I was in free of any furniture. I saw the outlines of the frames on the wall, probably outlining some peaceful paintings of the countryside or something.

  
                Suddenly, I heard something shuffling. I immediately twisted my torso around, immediately placing my knife in front of me and bending my knees a little. My tight hair bun bounce a little at this sudden movement. I cautiously tiptoed over to the corner of the hallway where I had heard the sound come from when all of a sudden, by instinct, I jumped back onto my heels.

  
                I had barely missed a metallic baton. I swung my armed hand at whatever was before me, shortly hearing a loud click as my knife met the baton. I pushed most of my weight onto the baton, my knife slowly sliding off the baton, as I delivered a swift kick with my left leg at my opponent. Luckily, I hit _something_ and heard a groan.

  
                “Damn it! You’re rather quick, aren’t you?!” the mysterious person quickly spat at me as they fell back.

  
                I managed to avoid their next big swing and managed to snake around them, quickly grabbing one of their arms, twisting it behind their back as I pulled them down, and placing my knife snugly against their neck.

  
                “Don’t move,” I warned, squeezing their neck a little to show them I might be just serious about slitting their throat open. I was panting after having to pull with a little more effort to bring whoever this person was to my height.

  
                “Gods, this is rather uncomfortable…”

  
                “Who in the hells are you? Don’t try to make small talk here. I don’t have time. I don’t want to hurt you either.”

  
                “We don’t have to talk like this, friend… My knees are about to give up on me—“

  
                “Answer my question, now…” I hissed, squeezing my grip around their neck. They began to cough.

  
                However, as soon as I let a little of my threatening grip off, they grabbed my wrist with their free arm and squeezed it with such great strength as if they wanted to crush it. I yelled, letting go of the knife. As soon as I heard it hit the floor, my attacker grabbed the rest of my arm and flipped me over their shoulder.

  
                My head was throbbing and I could only hear the loud thumping of my heart as I quickly rolled from where I landed, avoiding being trapped by them.

  
                “You sly little thing!”

  
                I quickly jumped back to my feet, my long hair now almost undone from its tight bun and hanging loosely near my shoulders.

  
                “A lady, huh?” my attacker remarked quietly to himself before they lunged at me, my knife in their hand now.

  
                I sidestepped, quickly turned around, and readied myself to dodge again. “I don’t have time for this,” I muttered under my breath. My entire body was aching.

  
                “Quick-footed too… No wonder why no one’s caught you yet, dear…” their voice held a fake honeyed tone to it, taunting me into attacking them blindly in the lightless hallway. I squinted my eyes and kept my cool. That trick won’t work on me.

  
                “Just what in the hells do you want?” I angrily sputtered at him.

  
                “To catch you, of course, you slick criminal. It’s been high time for you to stop robbing these vaults and pay for your crimes,” their voice was more unforgiving this time. They obviously thought I was some sort of disgusting fiend.

  
                “Are you with the police? I didn’t know they’d only send in one person… unless—“

  
                “I don’t need them to catch criminals like you. Rather, they don’t need me because they don’t ever intend on doing so themselves. What a pity, really.”

  
                “You’re after me then… For the sake of justice then. I see. That tells me little about your character. Don’t test my patience. Again, I’ll ask: who are you?”

  
                “Dear, you’ve no heart to kill another person. I’ve been able to tell. You falter in such things. However, remember this: you don’t need to know my name, but know that I can outmatch you one day.”

  
                With that, in a flash, they lunged at me. I barely dodged in time as the blade scraped across my mask and cut some few locks of my hair off my head. I cursed underneath my breath.

  
                “Leave, now. No crime shall happen tonight.”

  
                Their voice was cold, unmoving. At that moment, I was sure it was him, the new detective who was working on my case independent of the police department.

  
                “I’m afraid I can’t do that just yet,” I replied coolly.

  
                He lunged at me again, and this time I dodged again and managed to kick the back of his leg, sending him face first into the ground.

  
                “Next time we run into each other, I won’t spare you,” I whispered to myself. I looked around for a quick exit and found it in a nearby window. I jumped out of it and sprinted off into the darkness before I could make sure that he was getting up from such a hard fall.

  
                Those artifacts would have to wait. It would be harder the next time too, now with Mr. Grey in the picture.


	2. File

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing how the enemy works provides guidance on how one can create strategies. Disguised, the WoL seeks out Haurchefant's help to gain insight on how he conducts his investigations with the hopes of sabotaging them. However, the unconventional detective may be a few steps ahead of her already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rather long chapter! Oops. But, hopefully you guys enjoy it nonetheless.

               The wig felt a little itchy on my head as I stood in front of an office door in a small building. It was in the parts of the town where crime was frequent, yet despite its shabby appearance, the building held no signs of being tampered with by local gangs. I knocked on the door bearing the sign with his name on it.

  
               Haurchefant Grey. I ran into him last night and he ruined my plan, setting back my entire schedule by a few days. Back-up plans were more than necessary now, and I thought of upgrading my weaponry for self-defense just in the case that he won’t be the only one waiting for me at my next objective.

  
               I sighed to myself as the door swung open, and the tall man revealed himself.

  
               “What brings you here?” he asked, peering at me.

  
               I looked up at him and whispered, “You’re that detective right? The one not working with the police?”

  
               He raised an eyebrow at me and nodded. He moved over to the side of the doorway and ushered me inside. “Come in and take a seat. I take it that you have a case you want me to solve.”

  
               I entered the room, immediately smelling some coffee brewing in an adjacent room. The blinds were still closed, and only a lone lamp on his desk provided light in the dark office. “Not exactly… The case, you see, doesn’t belong to just me…” I replied, slowly walking over to a chair in front of his wooden desk.

  
               He took his respective seat behind the desk, and placed his elbows on it and perched his chin on his hands. “Oh? Go on, speak more about it. The faster you speak, the faster I can take action.”

  
               I gulped and fidgeted a little in my seat to give off the illusion that I was a bit meek and nervous around him. He was as blunt as he was last night, that’s for sure. “I heard from some other people that you’re working on catching that criminal… The one they call the ‘Crystal Thief’ that’s been robbing Adeledji. Well, I was supposed to work last night at the last building they broke into, and I was in the parking lot in the back when I saw someone I didn’t recognize going inside—”

  
               “A worker for that Adeledji swindler, eh?” he interrupted me, holding up a hand. I tilted my head at him, trying to hide my irritation. “Name?”

  
               I inhaled quickly and exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself. “Soo. Soo Mae.” I rubbed my red lips together as I waited for him to reply.

  
               “Soo Mae? Interesting name. It’s pretty, but rather odd, don’t you think?” he began to shuffle through the papers on his desk and took out a notebook and pen. He flipped through the countless pages before he found one and wrote something in it. “Finally, an eyewitness to her crimes. The Crystal Thief is not someone to mess with, to be brutally honest. She gave me a few bruises last night… Tell me, though, why you didn’t go to the police first?” he looked at me, his gaze steady and scrutinizing.

  
               “I think you know that reason better than I do. The police has gone to each crime scene, yes, but they’ve done little to nothing to catching the thief,” I added a small shrug at the end.

  
               “I’m glad to have found that we can agree on that fact alone. You’re not giving me just an alias, though, are you? Though I can’t provide eyewitness protection, I can assure you that you won’t be harmed for helping me a little here.”

  
               “Do not worry about it, for I really am Soo Mae.” He shifted in his seat a little, and I could feel he doubted me a little still about my name. Maybe his intuition was acting up.

  
               “Ah, okay, okay. Hold on for just a second, I think the coffee is almost done. Would you like some?” on his face was a small unexpected smile.

  
               I nodded and slouched a bit more into my seat, letting my shoulders relax. He stood up from his seat and opened the blinds, rushing in an abundance of rays into the dark room, before heading to his coffee pot in the other room. While he was gone, I quickly scanned his desk for anything important.

  
               As my eyes glazed over, I saw notes on my previous heists, and a few bullet points outlining my last one which failed. I found pictures of each crime scene, save for the most recent one, and portraits of nameless individuals scattered about his desk. Files, labeled in messy handwriting, were stacked on top of each other on one side. My eyes caught onto one of interest near the top of the pile, labeled ‘Employees’.

  
               I looked over my shoulder quickly, and finding that he was still inside the other room, I took the file and looked through it. He had pictures and names of everyone working for Adeledji. And of course, there was no Soo Mae. I bit my lip and stuffed the file in my coat’s inside pocket.

  
               “Coffee’s ready!” I heard his voice call out behind me. I jumped a little, feeling my entire head heat up. I bit my lip, hoping that he didn’t see.

  
               He walked over to me and set my mug in front of me.

  
               “I hope you enjoy it, Ms. Mae,” he gave me a wink before he sat down in his seat. His small smile grew into a playful one, further moving away from the blunt demeanor he had a few minutes ago.

  
               “Thank you,” I softly said before taking my first sip.

  
               “So, I was about to head out in about half an hour to go investigate the recent break-in our thief had, and fortunately she stole nothing. This is her first failed heist, and it’s rather interesting. You don’t mind accompanying me, no? I can ask you important questions then.”

  
               “Sure, I’ll go with you,” I nodded and looked up at him, feeling the coffee radiate its heat towards my palms. When I met his eyes, he had a devilish glow to them. I kept a straight face to not betray anything.

. . .

               “Forgive me for my earlier brusque manner. I can be a bit rough around the edges when I haven’t had my coffee,” Haurchefant said as we walked side by side towards the building. Now that we were in daylight, I noticed how his eyelids drooped a little from probably fatigue from last night. He also walked with a bit of a limp, his footsteps producing an uneven rhythm compared to the click of my heels.

  
               “Are you sure you want to walk over to the building? It’s not too far from here… but you’re limping—”

  
               “Don’t mind it. Or try not to. She kicked me rather hard in that leg last night. I’m sure the police isn’t even aware that she’s still dangerous unarmed.”

  
               “Wait, Mr. Grey, you were there? In the building, with her? You two fought?” I stopped in my tracks and gave him an incredulous look.

  
               “My dear, I was. I threw my own punches as well, some hit. Well, for sure, I _know_ I flipped her over at one point and had her on the floor. If only the circumstances were a bit different—”

  
               “Mr. Grey, might I interrupt?” I felt my whole face burn.

  
               “What is it?” he looked confused.

  
               “Goodness, could you keep the unprofessional comments to yourself?” I replied, my voice a bit low, almost a whisper. “I know you’re not with the police force but still…” I was rubbing my arms now, trying to get rid of the awful feeling that took over me.

  
               He chuckled, “Ah, my apologies. I guess I should watch my mouth. You’re right, you’re right. But yes, we fought, and she had a knife on her. She almost killed me at one point, almost slit my throat open as if she knew I’d say dirty things…”

  
               I sighed in response, and the rest of the conversation was silence until we got to the building. Immediately, we saw the yellow caution tape fencing off the entire area. There were a few officers inspecting the window I had broken and the door behind the building. Haurchefant went in first and held the tape up for me as I walked underneath it.

  
               “Thanks for that,” I told him, smiling a little.

  
               “No worries. Come, let’s get closer. The officers over there won’t mind us snooping around.”

  
               “Are you sure about that? You don’t work with—”

  
               “They’re old co-workers. We’ll be fine. Come on.”

  
               “Hey, if it isn’t the little troublemaker we knew back in the days! How’ve you been, buddy?” one of the officers called out, beckoning him to come over. “Hurry up! Wait a minute… is that a limp?”

  
               “It’s a long story, Francel. I’ll tell you later,” he hurriedly replied, waving his hand.

  
               “And who’s this lady? Are you seeing someone now? Wow!”

  
               “N-no… that’s not who I am, officer…” I slowly responded, blushing a little. I managed to prevent myself from making a disgusted face to keep up my disguise. It’s been a long hour.

  
               “No, no… Well… how do I put it?” Haurchefant grew silent, and I looked up at him to see that he was in deep thought. His gut must be telling him not to reveal that I was an eyewitness for his own sake. “She’s an assistant. Yes. She wants to be a detective.”

  
               “Ohhh, is that all? Huh. You’ve been quite popular, buddy, but I didn’t know you were _that_ popular,” Francel sounded a bit astonished. “Well, since you’re here to investigate… You know how things go around these scenes already. Go ahead. We’re done for the day. As much as I’d like to help, I can’t or else I might lose my job… Sorry buddy,” Francel scratched the back of his head.

  
               “Don’t worry too much about that, Francel. I understand. I completely do,” he let out a small sigh, “Well, off you go then. Good luck!”

  
               “You too, and good luck to your rookie as well!”

  
               I had to prevent myself from rolling my eyes. Instead, I diverted my look to the ground.

  
               “Well, while we look around, I’ll ask you questions. First thing off the bat, Ms. Mae, have you ever had a lover?”

  
               “What?!” I stood there in shock. He looked at me like an innocent lamb, unaware of how pointless his questions were.

  
               “I guess no? Huh…”

  
               “Not… really… I have other things to focus on, Mr. Grey. Like my job.”

  
               “Anything else besides your job? You don’t work here all day, do you?” he turned his back towards me and began to peer at the broken window. He looked at the shards on the ground and kneeled down to pick one up to examine.

  
               “Well… I’m a student actually. This job is quite nice, because I study artifacts they have here. Adeledji has some for display at where I work, and his other buildings too. Even when the building hours are done, I get to have more time with them since we store some away.”

  
               “Ah, right… he runs museums. Small ones. You’ve heard about how he’s stolen a few artifacts though, no? Isn’t that a bit shady, Ms. Mae?” he put down the glass shard and turned back his eyes onto me.

  
               “Yeah… but I had no choice. I don’t agree with him and how he’s stolen some of the artifacts he’s keeping, and I would like to see the day where the stolen artifacts get returned…”

  
               “You talk as if it does not affect you much, but your eyes are rather sad. I share the same sentiments. So… when you saw the suspicious person going inside the building, was it through the window or the door over there?”

  
               “The door…” I was a bit dumbfounded by the rather simple question. “She couldn’t have gone in through this window, no? The shards are here, outside. She probably jumped through it to get away from you…”

  
               “Keen eye, keen eye,” he mumbled to himself. He began to rub his chin as he continued thinking. “Saw any features?”

  
               “It was rather dark, so I could not see a lot from the far distance I was at. When I saw them, I was… a bit afraid, you see, and lengthened my distance from them…”

  
               “You saw her outline nonetheless, right?”

  
               I nodded. I crossed my arms and stared at him as he continued his examination of the broken window. He seemed so focused on it.

  
               “A better question now, Ms. Mae. Why do you say that she jumped out this window to escape me?”

  
               “What do you mean by that?” I gulped a little but preserved my composure.

  
               “It’s one thing to say to escape the scene… but to escape from me? Why would she have to escape from me, when from what I’ve told you so far about our duel, she had me on the ropes?”

  
               “Mr. Grey… I don’t… quite understand… These questions aren’t the ones you should be asking me—”

  
               “And who set those rules? You’re an eyewitness, and you came to my office to provide what you know, but no one really said anything about how I can get that information from you. Right?” he caught my gaze and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t avoid his look now. He was onto something. He was onto me. His intuition was probably on fire while his eyes shot me an icy gaze.

  
               “Mr. Grey…” I softly said, mostly to myself, to buy time for a recovery.

  
               “Ah, did I scare you there? You look so pale,” he began to chuckle, his cold look melting quickly. I had to stay on guard, however, for if I let my defenses melt with it, he might figure out things he shouldn’t about me.

  
               “Oh goodness…” I let out a sigh of relief.

  
               “I think that’s all the questions for today… How about we meet tomorrow for more? You’re an interesting person, that’s for sure…”

  
               “S-sure. I can meet tomorrow. At your office then?”

  
               “No, no, at this coffee shop,” he took out a small notepad and a pen, scribbled something on it, ripped the page out and handed it to me. Dragonhead Café. “By the way, your hair is a lovely blonde, I might add.”

  
               “Ah… okay… This place, then?” I replied, ignoring his last remark.

  
               He laughed a little, “Yes, yes. You’re rather cold, just as cold when I do my questioning, by ignoring that compliment.”

  
               I sighed, “Oh, Mr. Grey, it would be nice if you kept your words bounded a little…”

  
               “I apologize, I apologize. It’s just, I’ve got some hair from the thief last night. I was wondering if you were close enough to her before she got into the building to tell me her hair color, as a confirmation. Well, off I go then, back to my small office. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Ms. Soo Mae!”

  
               And with that, he waved goodbye and limped the way we came to the building. When I could make sure he was a great distance away, I crumpled the piece of paper, out of frustration. His line of questioning got me a bit off guard. I was also a bit too careless during the fight last night to allow him to get a hold onto some of my hair. It was a good call, then, to wear this wig. However, little mistakes have to be avoided now, lest they add up and reveal too much about me.

  
               Dragonhead Café. Tomorrow, I would have to meet him. Tonight, however, is my next heist, even when my schedule had to be modified. The artifact I was after would be moved tomorrow, so there would be no time to spare, unfortunately.


	3. Attention and Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time they met, he stole locks of her hair. The second time, she stole a file from him. This third night, she steals his interest and he steals her attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man they fight a lot, don't they? /sweats nervously/

               Red sirens flashed outside once I had broken into the vault. I thought I had disabled the alarm systems, but I’m sure that _someone_ had installed a back-up one to lay a trap for me. It might have been Haurchefant or it might have been the police, but once I grabbed the blue crystal necklace out of its case, I knew I had to book it, and fast.

  
               All my plans seem to be going awry now, but I silently scolded myself for not having thought up of a back-up plan for the only heist I could not move past its planned date. Was my mind more scattered than usual? Had that run-in really thrown me into some sort of tilt? I had to do things quickly so I don’t lose time. My client might be gone soon, and if she cannot even be reunited with the artifacts her family lost to Adeledji…

  
               Silence, silence, let those thoughts go for now. This necklace will at least be hers after tonight. I wrapped it in newspapers before I placed it in a brown sack filled with bubble wrap, which I then placed in the small backpack I carried with me. At my waist was a knife and a stun gun just in the case that I had to subdue Haurchefant again. I quickly turned towards the window, hearing police sirens increase to a deafening volume. I had to disappear before they catch me. They were getting too close to me now. I had to quicken my pace, but not so much that I would screw up big time again.

  
               I bit my lip to suppress my growing anxieties as I ran out of the vault and into a nearby staircase. Escaping from the roof was my best bet as soon as I heard the entrances being broken into, yells from police officers to reveal myself. I reached for the door knob to the rooftop access and cursed under my breath as I shook it. Of course it would be locked. I heard footsteps quickly approaching and I inhaled deeply, positioned my leg, and kicked the door open with all of my might.

  
               Stumbling onto the rooftop, I quickly scanned the area around me for anyone intending to capture me and found it was all clear. A few seconds later, the rumbling of helicopter blades filled my ears.

  
               If they caught me in a searchlight, it was most likely game over.

  
               I couldn’t let that happen. It was most definitely not going to happen.

  
               Without a second thought, I found the nearest rooftop to jump to and leaped to it. I managed to roll into my landing, with my knees hitting the ground first once I finished the motion. Shit. I checked that the backpack was okay, quickly got up, and ran as fast as I could, ignoring the pain in my legs. This would happen eventually, and I had prepared myself for it.

  
               If I was fast enough, they wouldn’t catch me. He wouldn’t catch me, if he was here in the first place. Suddenly, I remembered our appointment tomorrow, and already I was thinking of self-care techniques that would help me hide the injuries my body suffered tonight. If he noticed, he might get suspicious.

  
               His nose was good. I give him that. But gods _curse_ that intuition. There’s definitely no way he’d let me go once he finds out it’s me.

  
               I leaped again to another nearby rooftop, and by a stroke of luck, the helicopter scanned the rooftops opposite the direction I was going. I was going to escape. However, after my landing, my legs froze when I heard him.

  
               “You’re rather quick like last time. We’re alone again, and I’d like to keep it that way. So, be quick,” his voice shouted as I felt him tackle me.

  
               Holy fuck. If I could give an award to someone who always ruins my plans, it’d definitely go to him. I landed hard on my back, and I swore if he breaks the necklace, I _really was going to kill him_.

  
               “Get off me!” I hissed through my mask, managing to pry him off me and taking out my knife.

  
               He hit the ground sideways with a large thud before he jumped back, looking unaffected. “Pray to the gods above that I won’t hurt you too much tonight, my dear!” he thrust himself forward, fist first, and I dodged it. I grabbed his leg from underneath him and sent him falling face first, once again, onto the ground.

  
               He cursed loudly, and I’m sure from the sound of the impact that he would get a bloody nose at least. When he didn’t seem like he was going to get up, I sheathed my knife again and decided to just run. As I began to run to give power to my next leap, I heard his footsteps fast behind me.

  
               If I run fast enough, he won’t catch me.

  
               I closed my eyes and felt myself flying through the air. Flying wasn’t possible, but I felt it at that instant before I felt someone pull _hard_ onto my left arm. Falling was very much possible, and at that moment, I thought I was going to die.

  
               I screamed out of fear, keeping my eyes closed. After what seemed to be an eternity, I sheepishly opened my eyes and saw him, looking down at me, grabbing tightly onto my arm.

  
               “God damn it, I can’t believe I’m actually going to haul you up here. But I can’t let you fall to your death now, right? You… don’t want to die… do you?” his voice sounded a bit genuinely concerned at the end.

  
               Tears outlined my bottom eyelid and I gasped. I was dangling off the roof, and he was holding onto my arm. “Why?” I mouthed. But it was dark, so I doubt he’d see it.

  
               “I threw the police off… you know… so I could have you for myself… Get ready since I’m pulling you up in 3!” he counted out loud, and with a great burst of strength, he pulled me over the ledge, grabbed my other arm, and helped me over.

  
               I was panting, and as I was trying to catch my breath when he suddenly grabbed an arm and pulled me up. My body was shaking a little still when he held onto my arm, and with his other arm, he aimed a pistol at my head.

  
               “You’re going to answer my questions now or I’ll hurt you. I’d rather avoid it, but seeing how you escape from me so quickly, I feel this is the only way… Now, who are you?”

  
               I stayed silent, gritting my teeth. There would be no way he’d kill me, but he was definitely capable of hurting me. I had to think fast.

  
               “If you really mean to bring justice to this world, you should let me go. Trust me,” I whispered, not looking up at him.

  
               “Why is that? I’m curious. What excuses could you have to get me to let you go?” he pulled me closer to him and the cold touch of the pistol sent chills throughout my entire body.

  
               “Let me go,” I quietly demanded. “I don’t have to explain myself. You won’t kill me. You can hurt me, but you won’t kill me.”

  
               “Don’t test me now. You have to explain yourself, one way or the other. You are a criminal, and you will be punished, but the motive is just as important as the punishment, no?”

  
               “Are you more interested in the latter or the former?”

  
               “I’m the one asking questions around here. I’m the detective here. I’ll investigate you until I know _everything_ ,” the sound of his voice was mildly threatening, striking fear into my heart for a few seconds.

  
               I sighed and stood there, head still drooped down. I let my arms limp a little as a night breeze passed itself over us. The police sirens and helicopter sounded muffled in the distance, as if they were in a world separated from ours by a thick wall.

…

               Lynn Hyde, a terminally ill patient at the Gridania Hospital, had asked me a few weeks ago to help her recover the family heirlooms she had lost to Adeledji because of her father’s debts. She was significantly older than me and was a maternal figure to me when I moved into this town to study at a nearby university.

  
               I had to uphold my promise, my promise to help her get them back before she would pass away.

  
               Haurchefant will not get in my way. No one will.

  
               “At least let me see your face if you’re going to stay cold and silent towards me.”

  
               His voice had pierced that deafening silence that had been there for a few minutes.

  
               A false sense of security, from the limpness of my arms. The hope to uncover something, only for the things you have to be taken away with such swiftness that it was almost cruel. My free hand was near the stun gun.

  
               Carefully, he put the pistol away and reached over to my face. Swift and cruel is how I had to be. Right before he touched it, I grabbed my stun gun and struck him with it.

  
               “Shit…” he croaked out as he hit the ground.

  
               “Goodbye,” I whispered to the air before I disappeared into it.

  
               Why was he hesitating? If he really didn’t want to let me go, he could’ve at least shot my leg. I guess I’m not the only one messing up here then.


	4. Next Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...I swear to the gods that I am not the thief, even if you do not know who I am at all…"

               It was late in the afternoon when we were sitting at a table in Dragonhead Café. He sat across me, a few bandaids on his face and slight slouch in his posture towards his left. When he entered the café, he was still limping and from the get-go, he complained about sore muscles.

  
               “Goodness gracious, Ms. Mae, I ran into the thief again last night. Every time we have clashed, she puts up a good fight. It’s frustrating… My muscles are rather sore thanks to her,” he sighed, eying the approaching waitress.

  
               As he quickly ordered for us, I made sure to pull up my sleeves all the way to cover my own bruises. A long skirt draped itself over my legs as well to cover the injuries there. Across from Haurchefant was me, the Soo Mae from the Adeledji company he knew, in the blonde wig and red lipstick. Last night, he held onto my arm and aimed a gun at me, feeling the skin of the Crystal Thief he was so persistent about catching.

  
               It was basically both of our faults that we had ended up being so close to each other last night, yet I had a strange feeling in my chest when I realized that he had never seen my face both in the day and in the night. But for him, I have seen his face in both times.

  
               It was a rather strange feeling. I was right in front of him, but right now, he couldn’t catch me. He doesn’t know, at least, he doesn’t know _for sure_. At this thought, I began to imagine the distance between him and me at this coffee table expanding into what seems to be an infinitely large distance. Yet, if his nose caught the right scent at the right time, he was certainly capable of crossing such a large distance.

  
               And maybe then, he can catch me. To avoid that, I just had to throw him off. I just had to throw off his intuition. It would require a lot, but it was doable.

  
               “Ms. Mae, you’ve been staring off into space for such a long time. Your coffee is getting cold while you wait, unless that does not bother you?” he sipped from his cup, peering at me.

  
               “Ah, sorry… I was just… thinking about what happened last night. She got it, a crystal necklace. I heard the police were sort of close to catching her though, but…” I did not look up from my cup and held it in between my hands. My voice was low as I was mumbling to myself.

  
               “I suppose that is what they told you and everyone else you work with. Alas, dear, that is not the case…” he sighed, finishing his cup in one big gulp, “It was me who almost caught her. And yet, due to my carelessness, she slipped away…”

  
               I shyly looked up at him underneath my eyelids, and saw that he held a wistful expression. An odd expression for someone who was hell bent on catching her and making her pay for her crimes. Unless…

  
               His voice broke apart my train of thought, “She did not answer my questions. I know little about her and why she steals such things, and I’ve been burning with curiosity for awhile. Perhaps the fiery passion to catch her and punish her had subsided, and a most peculiar interest had taken over…” he was now mumbling to himself.

  
               “What do you mean, Mr. Grey? The police have not quite figured out why she is doing these heists either. They don’t see the artifacts or the jewelry she’s stolen being sold in the black market… do you have a hunch then, about her motives?”

  
               “What makes you say that now, Ms. Mae? I suppose she’s caught more than one kind of interest from me, that is for sure. Her motives, I’m curious of what they are, but she told nothing about them when I asked her last night.”

  
               “Asked? You asked her? Shouldn’t you have put handcuffs on her first—”

  
               “I suppose that would have been a better plan in the long run,” he sighed and rubbed his head a little, “I slipped up by letting her get away. But, I do have a hunch of why she’s performing these heists… Justice…” the last word slipped from his lips in a low whisper, intending for it to fall on my ears only.

  
               “Justice? That’s weird. A criminal committing criminal acts for justice?” I furrowed my eyebrows, plastering a confused expression onto my face.

  
               “In all honesty, justice in this corrupted world comes in many odd forms. There is a reason why I work alone, since I don’t trust the police force wholeheartedly to pursue that virtue all the time. I can even say the force is rather corrupt, but for a criminal like this to target a rich man like Adeledji… It’s caused a very unique kind of mess…

  
               “The police are now forced to actually _work hard_ to catch a criminal targeting the wealth of a man who supports the force. Dogs that have slept for so long in some sort of fake peace are now forced to protect it. But it had always been wrong in the first place, for though they can serve some justice by catching the thief… they won’t continue with it. Their definition of ‘justice’ is getting rid of what is inconveniencing the status quo… Don’t you think that’s a bit too cruel for those who were already suffering before the Crystal Thief even executed her first heist?” he frowned at me and leaned forward a little.

  
               I nodded sheepishly before I took my first sip of the coffee. “You still intend to catch her still, though, right?”

  
               “Of course, but perhaps I should approach it a bit differently this time… Ms. Mae, do you mind if we go back to my office? I have something I want you to look at,” he was now resting his chin on his hand.

  
               “Sure, I’ll go. I’d love to help in any way possible.”

  
               We were looking for the same justice, but right now, our immediate motives clashed against each other too much. There was no room for the curiosity growing inside of me about him. For him, I’m sure it was the same deal.

  
               After today, the Soo Mae he knows will disappear anyways. This daylight mission brought too much risks to my plans.

. . .  

               Once he had locked his office door behind me, I heard an ominous click. I turned around and my body became paralyzed, a nauseous feeling in my stomach beginning to rock it. My face was probably extremely pale as my eyes widened at the sight of the pistol.

  
               Did he know already? Had I been underestimating him the entire time?

  
               “You’re not Soo Mae. You never were. After you left, an important file was missing from my desk. A rather sloppy cover up you did there. I won’t ask you for a name, but you’re rather suspicious… Do you really work for Adeledji?”

  
               I gulped and blinked rapidly. I steadied my nerves a little as I breathed in and out. “I don’t.”

  
               “Then, who do you work for?”

  
               “No one. I work for no one.”

  
               “Interesting…” he walked over to me and grabbed both of my arms and handcuffed me. He pushed me down into a nearby seat. “Don’t tell me… that you’re the thief herself?”

  
               I looked up at him and was met with a victorious smile. However, his eyes showed something else. His intuition was onto something, but he was doubtful. Doubt clouded the blueness of his eyes.

  
               “Such a stoic, pretty face… How can I make you talk? I don’t want to hurt you, even if I’m so suspicious of you and your actions."

  
               “Artifacts… jewelry… I did not lie to you about being a student, I swear,” I began to say, my throat a little dry and my legs shaking underneath my long skirt. “I have noticed something about the things she has stolen.”

  
               “Ah, trying to salvage your boat now, are you? Well, I’ll hear you out…” he was trying his best to sound confident, yet doubt lingered. Even a little of it was enough for me to worm out of this predicament.

  
               “These things once belonged to a prominent noble family of the name Hydaelyn. However, for the past century, they’ve fallen to obscurity due to harsh times… Not to mention, they changed their names too… From Hydaelyn… to Hyde… I’ve studied this before,” I coughed a little. I was trying to stop this nauseous feeling in my stomach. My head ached.

  
               He now looked genuinely interested, “Continue…”

  
               “The next thing she’s probably aiming for is a set of crystal earrings Adeledji wants to showcase at a dinner in a few days. I’ve seen those earrings before when I was studying them for a project. I’m surprised the police hasn’t figured it out yet, nor Adeledji. I’ve heard rumors that he practically stole those things from the last remnants of the Hydaelyns… Please believe me…”

  
               “A dinner, huh? How would I get an invitation though… hmmm…”

  
               “I’ll strike a deal with you, Mr. Grey,” I piped up, locking eyes with him. “Be my escort for the night. If she intends to strike the dinner or sometime afterwards, it would be awfully nice if I knew I was safe somehow… I swear to the gods that I am not the thief, even if you do not know who I am at all…” I sighed a little, a little soreness forming in my shoulders.

  
               “Huh… an interesting deal then, whoever you are. Fine, I’ll give you the benefit of doubt in exchange for a golden opportunity to catch the Crystal Thief. However, I’ll remind you to not do anything suspicious at all from now on. I’ll have my eyes on you,” with this, he pulled me to my feet by my shoulder and undid the handcuffs.

  
               “Goodness, you’re a rather scary detective…” I muttered under my breath, stretching my wrists and fingers.

  
               He chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “And so help presents itself at the most unusual time. If we catch her, I’ll give credit to you too for lending a helping hand. Well, I’ll see you in a few days then at the dinner.”

  
               He winked at me and I shot a scowl at him. “You have clothes right for the occasion?” I asked out of curiosity.

  
               “Of course, of course. Just focus on being my most reluctant assistant for now. Worry not about other things since I have them covered. You’re free to go now, just don’t even think about escaping out of the blue on me now, though. If you do end up being the thief, I’ll catch you either way.”

  
               I sighed and turned towards his door. Rushing, I swung the door opened and walked away quickly. I’m now under greater scrutiny now, and if that doubt was not there, I would have been caught already.

  
               My next heist will be completely complicated though. I seemed to be doomed either way. Both Soo Mae and the Crystal Thief have to show up at the same place at almost the same time now.

  
               Somehow, it was going to happen.


	5. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A detective craves a mystery to solve, and he finds a delightful yet challenging one in the Warrior of Light's mysterious identity. Meanwhile, our WoL also seeks to steal something precious from him to satisfy the growing needs of her heart. It may end up being his heart she's stolen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /whispers/ finally they're not fighting and who knows, maybe Haurchefant already knows she's the thief... but look out for the next chapter!!!! Thanks to all the readers so far!!

               “You’ve had at least one boyfriend or girlfriend, haven’t you?” a soft voice calls out to me a few feet away, and I look up after having quickly breaking out of one of my daydreams. When my eyes landed on the frail woman, a bit older than myself, I nodded.

  
               “Yeah, just a few. They were nice people, but I don’t have time for that sort of stuff anymore…” I gave her a weak smile.

  
               “Now, now, dear… You’re rather young still. You work so hard in your studies, so surely you must spend your time elsewhere having fun,” she chuckled a little and continued to smile widely at me, her eyes wrinkling at the ends. She was always full of life, and as the days pass, she was so lively that her warm aura would glow around her and ease my heart.

  
               “I guess… I don’t have anyone in mind right now, though, Ms. Hyde… Too many things to take care of, actually…” I shyly responded, giving a light sigh.

  
               “Don’t you have someone else helping you with what you’re doing? If you do, you should ask them for some help. You seem overworked recently, and I could’ve sworn I saw you limping the other day…”

  
               “Ah! Ah, don’t w-worry about that… I just tripped doing something,” I gave a nervous laugh, “And no one is really helping me at the moment. It’s… something I have to do on my own, actually. It’s… a secret,” I avoided her gaze before uttering the last word.

  
               “No one, at all? There’s always at least one other person who can always understand you and can offer some help on what you need to do, you know. Maybe… you don’t realize they can help you?”

  
               “Ah… maybe… But, I can’t afford it. Not now. Not… until I finish whatever I’m doing,” I gave her a fake smile to help ease her heart and take her mind off whatever I was doing, behind her back despite it being for her in the end. “I can promise you, at the end though, that you will be happy and I will be happy as well.”

  
               “Hmm… I guess I won’t pry anymore. I trust you enough that you know what you’re doing.”

  
               The only person who wasn’t so far away from me is the same detective who wanted to catch me. After talking to him a few times through a fake identity, however, it seemed that his pursuit of me was unconventional. Or rather, one I did not expect, would be a more fitting description of it. The motives behind one’s actions… and the punishment for those actions when they riled up the status quo. Both were important, yet it seemed that in the world where he, I, and Lynn Hyde grew up in, that only the latter was worth _something_.

  
               Deep down, I knew that _why_ I was doing what I was doing would at least matter to Ms. Hyde, and maybe even to Haurchefant. However, even if they understand, will they accept me for what I am and what I have done? I sighed. My mind had wandered off those thoughts once again. Haurchefant may be able to understand me, and sure, he can help me out… But as it stands, we are on opposite sides.

  
               At that thought, I felt a sting in my chest. To be completely alone would be the inevitable end for me, as a criminal. Once I was captured, I would not matter to anyone anymore. I sighed, reminding myself that this was very much the possible consequence of my actions once I had decided to begin stealing.

  
               To end up alone. Yet, there was a stir in my heart, as if it was jumping eagerly at some opportunity to celebrate a little. His face flashed in my mind, but this fire I quickly put out. My heart rested once again on the ground as my mind wandered off to a more somber thought.

  
               Maybe he was alone too?

. . .

               “Who knew a suspicious liar could dress so nicely? But, as they say, appearances are important to keep, especially if one intends to deceive,” Haurchefant teased maliciously from across the table.

  
               It was only him and I seated there as I kept my look away from him and at my empty plate. “It would be awfully polite if you kept rude comments to yourself.”

  
               “Ah… my apologies. Did… I make you upset?”

  
               I looked up briefly and shot him a threatening look, “I’d rather not be here, to be frank with you. I was only invited as a student, but now you’re here, willing to destroy my spirits with hurtful words. Gods, you’re rather rude.” There was an intense burning in my chest, and I felt my cheeks flush.

  
               It would be nice if he could go away. There was no need to kick someone who was down already, yet he seemed to enjoy doing it. This heist was already a failure, and to grab those earrings would have to come at a later time.

  
               The Crystal Thief had already shown up, either way. She sat where I sat, frustrated and bitter at the world around her, and finally these boiling feelings had spilled over. In the end, she knew, deep down, she could give what Ms. Hyde what she wished for, but she could not get what she wanted for herself.

  
               What is it that I really wanted, out of all of this? At first, it was simply just for the sake of Ms. Hyde. But, what will happen to me at the end? As everything stands right now, I would end up alone in the end. Will I be happy with that outcome? Dear gods no.

  
               “You’re crying,” his voice broke me out of my daze and I found myself staring down at the white tablecloth stained with several tearstains. He was kneeling besides me with a cloth in his hand. “May I?” he asked, shyness coating his voice.

  
               I was breathing hard, trying to keep my sobbing to a minimum. A dull chatter filled the room as the other dinner guests took no notice. I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want to look at his eyes. I knew if I did, I would only fall harder. If I fell any harder, the entire plan would only become harder than it has to be.

  
               What kind of criminal falls for the detective who’s supposed to catch her anyways?

  
               I shook my head, but before I even voiced my protest, he began to wipe my tears away with his cloth. The cloth lightly touched my face as it wiped my cheeks dry. I steadied my breath and turned my head away from him. “I’m fine,” I croaked.

  
               “Are you sure? Goodness, I didn’t mean to make you cry. Look, my most sincere apologies for the rudeness earlier… I seemed to have been carried away, with my job and all…” there was a new kind of tone to his voice, layering it with this sweet honey that my ears now crave for.

  
               “I can’t blame you, it’s what you do for a living, right? I understand…”

  
               “You understand me, but I have to tell you… it sort of hurts me if I end up hurting people doing my job. It’s never easy to arrest a criminal. Detectives have hearts too,” he gave a light chuckle. “But, they keep it guarded damned well. So they can do their jobs properly, I suppose… Look, I’m sure the thief will show up, so let’s just enjoy our time here for a little. Take that as my small gift to you… umm…”

  
               He paused and I turned my head to finally look at him with my puffy eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  
               He seemed to jump back a little when our eyes met. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “Ah, never mind. It’s just… you never told me your name and—”

  
               “You don’t need to know it…” I sighed. Alone. I will end up alone, so there would be no need for him to know my name.

. . .

               We were now both dancing slowly on the dance floor with other couples. The dinner had extravagant meals, and this fancy night seemed incomplete without some entertainment. There was a band playing lively music, and to it, we danced.

  
               Even with my heels on, he was a bit tall for me. Yet, we managed. I held one of his hands while the other was placed lightly on my waist. We let our legs drift side to side, following the music’s beat. We didn’t talk to each other, however, as he kept a lookout for any signs of the thief. The earrings had been stashed away already, probably in a nearby room in the same building. Adeledji was sitting near the empty case, drinking the night away surrounded by ladies.

  
               As we wandered around the dance floor, both lost in our thoughts, I let myself melt a little against his touch. I guess I deserved this, even if only I could have a little of it. Surely, after this night, he would hate me. He might even figure out that the thief and I were the same person. But, surely, I can have small moments of peace and happiness still. Those thoughts didn’t matter right now. Maybe, they never did.

  
               “Are you sure you won’t tell me your name?” he spoke to me in a low whisper.

  
               I looked up at him, my mouth opening a little. “I’m not so sure anymore…”

  
               “A sudden change of heart, then? Are you about to betray your secrets, then? Was my kindness the key to breaking your wall?” he jokingly replied, smiling a little.

  
               “Bring your ear close to me, and I’ll tell you my name,” I whispered. I eyed him hungrily.

  
               The look he gave me was that of someone who had been starving for a long while.

  
               He wouldn’t hate me after he figures it out. A foolish thought, but I wanted to entertain it. Maybe I should just tell him now that I was the Crystal Thief.

  
               We had stopped dancing and he slowly dropped his head down to mine and kissed me. He let go of my hand and dropped down his hand to pull me closer by my waist. Warmth washed over me, and my heart cried out in my chest in some desperate attempt to have this last forever. When our lips parted, I gave a small gasp and stared at him, my cheeks a burning red.

  
               “Isn’t it too early to give up?” he whispered to me, his face hovering above mine. There was a smile on his face. His look was full of fondness. He had fallen for me, even when he knew almost nothing about me.

  
               “I guess…” I replied without thinking. An odd detective and an even more peculiar man he was. Maybe, as a detective, solving the mystery of a person’s identity was his idea of finding love? Then, I was the perfect candidate.

  
               The sound of windows shattering, however, rocked both of us out of the small little world we had formed. He quickly grabbed me by the arm and jumped underneath the nearest table.

  
               Gunfire and yelling. My limbs froze on me and I blinked rapidly, finding myself underneath a table covered with tablecloth, Haurchefant in front of me as he was peeking at what was happening. “Stay here, even if I go out, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt,” he whispered to me.

  
               “Yeah… okay…” I said slowly, gulping.

  
               “Dear gods, it’s the mafia… don’t tell me they’re after those earrings…” he mumbled to himself. He quietly took out a pistol he had been hiding.

  
               I crawled besides him and took a peek myself, finding all the guests and even Adeledji on the ground, shaking furiously as armed people moved around, pointing their guns at anyone who looked as if they were trying to escape.

  
               “We’re only here for the earrings, and once we get ‘em, you guys are good. But, no one should do anything _funny_ or else you might just get a bullet as a nice little gift, you hear me?” the leader yelled as he slowly walked over to Adeledji’s table.

  
               “They can’t…” I whispered, panicking a little. Those earrings were Ms. Hyde’s. I won’t allow them to steal it.

  
               Suddenly, Haurchefant jumped out from beneath table, knocking it over, and began firing at the nearest henchmen. Screams pervaded throughout the venue as I found myself without cover. Quickly, I jumped onto my feet and began taking out a few other henchmen as well with my empty hands.

  
               The following moments flashed by my eyes as he and I managed to fend off the henchmen on our way to the leader of the group. Before I realized it, the leader was on the floor, begging Haurchefant to let him go while he stood there, aiming his gun at the man’s head.

  
               I walked slowly over to where the crying man was until my knees buckled from underneath me.

  
               A burning feeling. A cold liquid dripping down my arm. I had been shot in the shoulder. I left a henchmen conscious enough to shoot me. Shit.

  
               “What the—?! N-no!!!” Haurchefant was just finished handcuffing the leader when he ran to me.

  
               “Stay with me! Dear gods, someone call an ambulance!!! Stay with me! Hey now!!!” he was trying to stop the bleeding.

  
               My breathing was getting heavier and my vision became blurry. The last clear thing I saw was his face. I heard his voice still.

  
               “Stay… with me!” he desperately cried out.

  
               I smiled at him and mouthed something. He gasped and my vision faded to black.

  
               This wound is going to make my heists even harder.

  
               In fact, my feelings for Haurchefant might be even less of a hurdle now compared to it.


	6. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You love me so, right?"  
> "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter for this (arc) of the story, I guess! Thanks for all the readers though! If you're interested in sinning, maybe you should wait for a follow-up release. /winkwink/

               My eyelids fluttered open as a huge burst of light flooded my view. My injured shoulder was sore and aching a little as my vision adjusted to the hospital room. I was lying down, my head propped up by some pillows, and my hands folded on top of each other on top of a white blanket.

  
               I was alive, of course, but I noticed the absence of a wig on my head. Using my elbows and hands, I sat myself up and saw Ms. Hyde peering at me on a nearby chair. A nurse popped her head into the door and called out to her softly, reminding her that she had about 10 minutes left before she had to return to her own room.

  
               I gulped and grasped my bed sheet. I did not want to make her worry, but I was a little bit thankful that I was still here in the hospital. Surely, Haurchefant could put 2 and 2 together after he saw the color of my real hair. Or, maybe even, he had figured it out already but couldn’t confirm it until the doctors removed my wig.

  
               He was gone. Ms. Hyde was the only one visiting right now. If he really wanted to catch me, he would’ve been watching me like a hawk right about now.

  
               “Oh thank the gods you’re awake! I rushed here as fast as I could… well, it was hard to get out of my room. I wanted to see you though, to see if you were—”

  
               “I’m fine… It’s just a wound. That’s all. I’m sure it might have been worse if I wasn’t rushed here, but I’m glad it didn’t turn out any worse than this. Thanks for visiting,” I smiled at her.

  
               “Dear… a rather handsome detective was visiting earlier. Of course, though, he left the room when I was at the doorway even when I insisted he shouldn’t. But, he seemed a bit preoccupied with something… I didn’t know you knew someone like that!” she began to giggle a little. “You two seem to match each other well…”

  
               I frowned, “Ah… yeah. I want to match him well. I want to be together with… him. But, he’s only a friend right now, I guess…” I looked away from her and sighed. “Did he say anything before he left though?”

  
               “No… none at all. A quiet man. Oh! He did actually bid me tell you that he wishes you well though and a fast recovery…”

  
               “Ah, thanks… That’s comforting, I suppose,” I softly replied, letting my gaze fall onto the bed sheet covering my legs.

  
               I was discharged the following morning, leaving only with the doctor’s discretion that I shouldn’t overexert my shoulders until the wound fully heals.

  
               That would be difficult to do if I still had those crystal earrings to steal, but with how the game field had changed over the course of one dinner where feelings and blood were spilled, I had no idea how to go about my next heist now.

  
               Surely he would be waiting for me. And maybe, _hopefully_ , he’ll be alone while he waits.

. . .

               A great many alarms would go off once I had broken into the vault and stolen the earrings. The police were a bit quicker this time, having surrounded the building much faster. Yet, I was at least one step ahead of them as I managed to find the hidden trapdoor leading to a small underground tunnel. It had been there even before the place was a museum, and it was connected to a nearby empty warehouse. This was the last resort route for escaping, and it was going to get me out of this mess.

  
               Yet, unlike the last heist, I felt almost no nervousness for this operation. No, I felt a different kind of feeling: anticipation for him.

  
               Anticipation for him to show up. _It was too weird that he let me go at the hospital._ He definitely knew it was me now. Whether that kiss was genuine or not, I would have to figure out now.

  
               The tables have turned I guess. I did not end up stealing his heart since he had stolen mine. Now, I was the one left asking the questions and uncovering the mystery.

  
               A large thud echoed throughout the tunnel once my feet hit the ground, and I turned on my flashlight and began to run through the passageway. I covered my tracks, but there is still a chance that they would find the trapdoor and if they did, they can easily trap me in here. There was still no guarantee that the way to the warehouse wasn’t blocked, so this entire escape route was a gamble. I kept running, every inhale I took causing a small burning feeling in my lungs and my footsteps were tapping loudly in the tunnel’s silence.

  
               Finally, I had reached a ladder and grabbing the flashlight in my mouth, I climbed up it. However, even at the very bottom, I saw the exit glow a little, as if it had been opened. I gulped, but after quickly glancing over my shoulders and finding no one following me, I exited the tunnel. Once I had crawled out of the small space, I closed the old, broken trapdoor behind me and looked up.

  
               “Hey there, love,” Haurchefant’s voice called out to me, slowly walking forward from the shadows.

  
               “I thought I’d see you soon. I’m surprised you didn’t arrest me at the hospital, actually,” I coolly replied, taking off my mask and putting it away in my bag with the earrings. “You were always sharp. You’d know I’d strike tonight.”

  
               He stopped in his tracks, leaving a good amount of space between us. He had his hands in his pockets and took on a relaxed pose, shoulders slouched a little while his head was thrust a little forward towards me.

  
               “Didn’t the doctor tell you to not do things when your shoulder is like that? Goodness…”

  
               “There’s no time for such things. There’s no time for this kind of small talk. You know who I am now, but I have no idea what the hell you want from me,” I replied, stepping back a little and hearing the trapdoor creak underneath me.

  
               “What ever do you mean? I care about you, of course, even if you are a criminal. Haven’t I told you before detectives have hearts?”

  
               “But, how do I know that you actually like me in that way? Maybe it’s all a plan to catch me… You’re more than capable of such trickery.”

  
               “So you think that kiss we shared the other day was dishonest? You hurt me so! In no way… was it dishonest. No… Listen to me,” he began to march forward and took one of my hands. He pulled me into an embrace and kissed me on the forehead.

  
               I didn’t fight. I was still suspicious but deep down in my heart, I wanted this badly.

  
               “Dear gods, I don’t know your name but I know I have fallen hard for you. I know… Maybe I’ve felt it ever since we met and you almost slit my throat open, that you were like me. We both hate the systems in which the roles we are playing exist. We both hate it. And maybe that’s why I’ve found myself more attracted to you as time passes…

  
               “I want to know more about you. I could tell a lot, however, from the hospital visit… That woman who visited you—”

  
               “Lynn Hyde…” I whispered in response, “The rightful owner of all the things I’ve stolen so far…” I looked up at him, a bit confused. “You’re not making a lot of sense though.”

  
               “Love makes no sense. Whatever world we are in doesn’t make sense either. You’ve thought about that right?”

  
               “I suppose…” I mumbled, breaking myself free from his embrace and distancing myself from him. “But, this can’t happen. Once I am done, I have to disappear. There’s no room for people like me in this sort of world. It’d be best for you to stop this mad infatuation of me, too.” I sighed. These words betrayed what my heart truly wanted, but the reality of my end would meet me soon. There were only so many heirlooms left to steal, and I would either end up truly dead or hollowly alive somewhere else.

  
               For someone whose fate was that, there was no time or room for this kind of love. I began to cry, but I held back my sobs.

  
               “Why do you refuse yourself this right, love? Are you really that afraid of what this world can do to you, and to us? Forget them… Forget them, right now. No… think about yourself right now,” his voice was soft yet firm. “I really do love you.”

  
               I gulped, and smiled as best as I could. “Then… catch me if you can,” I whispered, beginning to run for the nearest exit. However, before I even managed to get far, he had grabbed a hold on my good shoulder, pulled me back into his arms, and handcuffed my hands together.

  
               “Caught,” he playfully said, under his breath.

  
               “You’re not bringing me to the station, right?” I asked quietly.

  
               “No, of course not. It’s too early to give up for you, no?” he giggled a little. “Goodness, you still have tears rolling down your cheeks.”

  
               He wiped my face dry and began to drag me off in the direction of his office.

  
               We both knew it was safer to keep talking there rather than in the warehouse.

. . .

               “Don’t think I’m still letting you go free, though, even though I’ve fallen for you,” he called out from the other side of his desk. I was sitting across from him, my left hand handcuffed to the armrest of my chair.

  
               “Then, what do you intend to do with me?” I asked, leaning forward.

  
               “First of all, you still don’t seem to believe in me when I say I really am madly in love with you. Isn’t it painfully obvious at this point, though? Many times have I had the opportunity to catch you and turn you in, _including right now_ , but I haven’t yet. That dinner and the hospital shed some light on your identity… yet… I still know little about you. Yet, you’re _damn_ attractive.”

  
               “I’ve deceived a lot of people, so I know you can be using those feelings to deceive _me_ ,” I replied, sighing, “I can’t be sure if you’re trying to fool me or not. I can’t tell sometimes at this point. It hurts,” I confessed, my voice raising in tone at the end.

  
               “Would this hurt then?” he walked over to me, sat on my lap, and taking my chin into his hand, he kissed me hard on the lips.

  
               My eyes grew wide and I felt myself losing air quickly. Why does he have to be such a good kisser? His lips broke apart from mine and I gasped, trying to not faint from the lack of air from such an exchange.

  
               He looked shyly from under his eyelashes, “You didn’t like that? Was the one at the dinner better?”

  
               “You never give me a warning for this sort of thing,” I whined before I pulled him closer to me with my free hand and returned the kiss. I closed my eyes and felt his hand reached down to my lower back. He pulled me closer and _I think I felt some of his tongue on my lips_.

  
               Dear gods, what the hell were we doing?

  
               I opened my eyes and managed to break away from him. “No… no…”

  
               “You don’t want to? That’s fine…” he replied, nodding. “Sorry… I got a bit carried away there…”

  
               “I…” I could only look up at him, still feeling a bit confused but a bit happier now. “Not now, okay?” I whispered to him, giving him a small smile. “Maybe later is okay?”

  
               “Whenever you’re fine with it is good… Does this mean you believe me now, love?” he chuckled, giving me a quick peck on the cheeks.

  
               “Maybe. I believe you a bit more now than previously.”

  
               “You know you’re rather beautiful, sly, and capable of kicking my ass quite handily. I’m glad I ran into you,” he began to brush away some of the hair that fell on my face, gazing upon me with so much fondness that my heart was about to burst.

  
               “And as for you, Mr. Grey,” I began a bit more playfully, “You’re handsome, intelligent, and quite sharp. You should learn some hand-to-hand combat though, or you might get hurt even more.”

  
               “Well, won’t you teach me then, love?”

  
               After looking like I was in deep thought, I giggled and told him, “Maybe.”

  
               “You always say ‘maybe’… It won’t take me long to find out everything about you though, dear. I’m a detective after all!”

  
               “You know it’s not professional at all to fall in love with criminals you’re pursuing, right?” I asked him suddenly.

  
               “I know, I know. But, surely you know I’ve gained a reputation and a boot from the department on how many rules I break regarding professionalism,” he tilted his head a little at me. “But for you? I’d break such rules any day.”

  
               “Still, you’re a detective and I’m a criminal. With us like this now, how would this case end?”

  
               He raised his eyebrows at me. “Maybe… it… shouldn’t?” he slowly responded.

  
               I nodded and gave him a sly smile. “I’ll strike you a simple deal, a really quaint one.”

  
               “Oh? Tell me, what is it then?” a smile began to form on his lips. I shot him a mischievous look, and it was returned.

  
               “You love me so, right?”

  
               “Of course,” he nodded and that smile remained on his handsome face.

  
               “I’ll grant you a selfish wish of yours if you can do this,” I paused for a bit, looking down at the floor. I quickly lifted my head and gave him the sweetest smile.

  
               “Catch me if you can.”

  
               As soon as I finished, I gathered enough strength and ripped the armrest off the wooden chair, bolted for the nearest window, and jumped out of it.

  
               Behind me, I heard him cry out, a mix of frustration and glee, before he jumped through the same window to give me chase. I found myself laughing as I ran.

  
               Maybe tonight, he wouldn’t catch me. In the future, though, he will.

  
               And surely, we’d have more moments like that. And he and I could both look forward to those moments in the middle of life’s chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the final chapter of this story but who knows... maybe there's a branch-off for sinning hahahahahaha


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